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- Programming reminder: UFC Primetime 'Rampage vs Evans' tonight (May 12) on Spike TV
- Strikeforce open media workout photos gallery for 'Heavy Artillery'
- The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11: Episode 7 recap and discussion
- Fists of Fury: MMAmania.com UFC 113 post-fight interview exclusive with Jeremy Stephens
- Jonathan Goulet (22-11) released from the UFC after losing to Marcus Davis at UFC 113: "Machida vs....
- The Lamentation of Butterbean: UFC steals James Toney from Moosin MMA
- Bellator 18 weigh-in results from Monroe
- Tito Ortiz and Jenna Jameson reunited and walking the beach this past Sunday (Mother's Day). Thanks...
- Rory MacDonald UFC 115 training video for Carlos Condit
- Dana White: 'I’m no Josh Koscheck fan -- Personally, I think he’s [expletive]'
- MMA Quick Quote: Paul Daley already has a PPV fight lined up this summer -- other offers on the table
- Shane Carwin: White Men Can Jump?
- Marius Zaromskis vs Evangelista 'Cyborg' Santos targeted for Strikeforce: 'Los Angeles' on June 16
- Kenny Florian: 'Gray Maynard is a bigger and better version of Sean Sherk'
- Spike TV presents 'UFC's Ultimate Fights' to counter program Strikeforce and Shine Fights on May 15
| Programming reminder: UFC Primetime 'Rampage vs Evans' tonight (May 12) on Spike TV Posted: 12 May 2010 08:37 PM PDT
The UFC returns with "Primetime," a three-part series featuring an in-depth look at the upcoming UFC 114 light heavyweight grudge match between former light heavyweight champions Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and "Sugar" Rashad Evans. The debut episode will air TONIGHT (May 12) at 11:00 pm ET on Spike TV immediately following episode seven of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11. Episodes two and three will air on March 19 and 26, respectively.
The long anticipated bout between former TUF 10 coaches will serve as the headlining contest for UFC 114, which is set to go down on May 29 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. This will be the third UFC Primetime series that Spike TV and the UFC have produced. UFC 94: "St. Pierre vs. Penn" served as the first effort while "Rush" was also the focal point of the second installation alongside Dan Hardy for UFC 111: "St. Pierre vs. Hardy." Check out video previews of tonight's show after the jump.
For more on UFC 114 click here. |
| Strikeforce open media workout photos gallery for 'Heavy Artillery' Posted: 12 May 2010 08:33 PM PDT
All photos courtesy of Esther Lin and STRIKEFORCE. Check out more pics of "Grim," as well as Joey Villasenor and Antwain Britt, after the jump.
Joey Villasenor:
Antwain Britt:
Finney's MMA Gym:
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| The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11: Episode 7 recap and discussion Posted: 12 May 2010 05:10 PM PDT
Episode seven of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 11, featuring coaches Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell and Tito "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Ortiz, gets underway with a recap of the (somewhat) controversial majority decision from episode six that favored Nick Ring over Court McGee. The general consensus seems to be that win or lose, Ring didn't live up to the hype. Sloppy, tentative, etc. -- and Coach Ortiz has a special drill to help correct those deficiencies. Unfortunately a knee injury to Ring may make it a moot point. In addition, there are two wild card spots to get to before heading to the semifinals and the recently-eliminated McGee wants first dibs. During a Team Ortiz training session Nick Ring and his knee decide to separate over irreconcilable differences. Tito throws around a few ligament buzzwords and as of now the future of Ring is in doubt. Seth Baczynski and Joe Henle are set to hook 'em up and both go through the requisite tough talk prior to the showdown. Henle earned an advanced degree but has no intentions of using it because "he's a fighter." Baczynski gives a generic "I am a fighter" speech and Henle mentions his MBA again. Then again. Both fighters make weight without incident. Elimination fight number #7: Seth Baczynski (11-5) vs. Joe Henle (3-0) Round 1: Arianny sighting! Whoo-hoo! OVERWHELMING HOTNESS. Touch of gloves and a few leg kicks are traded before Henle gets an ugly takedown. Baczynski goes right to the triangle but Henle powers out of it and amidst the scramble basically gives Baczynski his neck on a silver platter. He sinks in the guillotine but can't seal the deal and Henle gets out of danger for the second time. Henle tries some ground and pound but looks a little lost and instead tries to work for an alligator roll -- which rolls Baczynski around and right back into guard. He tries to escape and gives up his back so Henle attempts a rear naked choke but loses it and also loses in position. Now Henle is in guard and Baczynski looks a little better with the ground and pound than Henle did but still doesn't do a tremendous amount of damage. Baczynski lands a nice elbow right before the bell. Close round but Baczynski finished strong. Round 2: Body kick lands for Henle. They clinch against the cage and Baczynski gets an awkward takedown and manages to land on bottom. Henle working for position and gets his back in a scramble. Again he tries for the rear naked choke and again loses both the hold and position. Baczynski tries for an arm but loses it and Henle jumps back into his guard. Fatigue has set in as they battle for position. Henle tries to work the Jeff Monson/Brandon Lee Hinkle north/south choke and Baczynski isn't having it. He gets to his feet but Henle gets him back down. Off camera, Dana White exclaims "This is like an [expletive] wrestling match." Baczynski works his way to Henle's back and looks like he might have the rear naked choke but Henle is saved by the bell. Unfortunately the viewers are not saved from a third round of this boring fight. Round 3: Baczynski right to the takedown and Henle reverts to the fetal position. A minute goes by with no action and the referee warns them for inactivity. Baczynski finally realizes he's in a fight and starts finding a home for the elbows. Henle looks too gassed to defend but sure is a good sport about getting fingers jammed into his eyes and face. A minute left in the fight and it's all Baczynski. Henle needs a miracle but doesn't get it. Baczynski doesn't do much damage but mauls him for the better part of four minutes to seal the deal. Seth Baczynski defeats Joe Henle via unanimous decision After the fight, Dana decides to have the two best eliminated fighters duke it out for the wildcard spot. Kyacey Uscola gets selected to battle Kris McCray to see who gets another chance at TUF stardom. Filling in for Rich Attonito will be Court McGee since he got boned by the judges. Joe Henle and Chris Hammertree are upset for getting passed over for the wildcard spot. Stay tuned next week as Uscola and McCray fight for the right to stay in the competition, the coaches choose the quarterfinal match-ups and something happens to a fighter that forces Dana to visit the TUF house. Who will it be? See you next week! |
| Fists of Fury: MMAmania.com UFC 113 post-fight interview exclusive with Jeremy Stephens Posted: 12 May 2010 03:34 PM PDT
Talk about a guy whose fight game has matured well beyond his years. At the tender age of 23, the man they call 'Lil Heathen" is making quite a name for himself as a lightweight competitor in the UFC's stacked 155-pound division. With his hard fought win over the venerable Sam Stout on last Saturday's UFC 113: "Machida vs. Shogun II" fight card, Jeremy Stephens has propelled himself right into the mix with other mid-to-top level guys in his weight class. With his eyes set on eventual lightweight gold, Stephens is ready to take that proverbial next step in his career. Just days after winning "Fight of the Night" honors for his victory over the tough Canadian, Jeremy spoke with MMAmania.com about his fight against "Hands of Stone," the big story lines coming out of UFC 113 (re: Kimbo, Daley), just how the hell he developed so much power in his hands, who he wants next in the Octagon and more. Check it out: James Kimball (MMAmania.com): First off, congratulations are in order for your win over Sam Stout this past weekend at UFC 113. You have any plans for that 65k you won for "Fight of the Night?" That's a lot of bread for a young guy like yourself. Jeremy Stephens: Yeah, that's huge for me. I'm gonna actually just save it for now and watch it triple, you know? Just try to invest in my future. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Talk to me about your game plan coming into the fight. Obviously it was to stand and trade with him, that's both of you guys' styles, but did things go the way you envisioned them? Jeremy Stephens: Well yeah, obviously I'm happy with the way the fight panned out. My game plan was actually to come in and mix it up a little more. I worked a lot on my takedowns and ground and pound coming into the fight and was thinking I was gonna use more of that. But everything else went real well. I've gone back and watched the fight, and besides a few tactical errors, I'm real happy with my performance. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): It was a close fight, a split decision. When you were announced as the winner, you were obviously ecstatic, but you also seemed a bit surprised. Did you think you were gonna get the nod from the judges? Jeremy Stephens: We were fighting near his hometown and the crowd was behind him, so I wasn't sure what was gonna happen. But I felt like I had won the fight. I felt like I had done enough to get the decision. And after going back and looking at the tape, I definitely thought I pulled it out. You forget some things that you do during the fight, so it was good to go back and watch how it all played out. I mean, God bless that guy. He took everything I had and just kept on coming. It was a great fight. But either way, win or lose, I would have walked away from the fight knowing I gave it all I had, and I can be happy with that. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Let me get your opinion on Paul Daley and Kimbo Slice. Both were released by the UFC this past weekend; Daley for his cheap shot and Kimbo for his less than impressive performance. Did you see either fight, and what do you think of the UFC's decision to cut them? Jeremy Stephens: Well, I didn't really see either fight, but I did see the cheap shot. And there's absolutely no room for stuff like that in our sport, especially not in the UFC. This isn't Elite XC, you know? Dana and the Fertittas take the reputation of this sport very seriously, so I can completely understand why they cut him. As far as Kimbo, I think he deserves to stay in the UFC. He's gone 1-1 so far, and let's face it, he's never gonna compete for a title, but I think most people knew that in the first place. But he's still a big draw. I got a chance to hang with him a bit in Montreal and the guy is just real chill and nice. He would sign autographs for every fan, and cooperated well with everyone. I mean, you have a guy like Chuck Liddell, who will probably never compete for a title again, but he's still in the UFC because he's a big draw. Of course Kimbo has never, and will never, accomplish what Chuck has in this sport, but purely in terms of just being a big draw, I think he deserves another chance. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Back to your fight with Stout, I gotta ask you about your power. It was the clear deciding factor in the fight. Is that something you either have or you don't? Can you work on developing that kind of power? Jeremy Stephens: It actually comes natural to me. I honestly don't even think I hit that hard. But everyone tells me that I do. But I don't train specifically for it, it's just kinda something that I've always been good at. I'm lucky I guess. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Now, for a guy with the kind of power you possess, it'd be easy for you to sit back and just rely on your hands and hope that you eventually catch your opponent, instead of continuously working to improve your overall game. What are you doing to prevent your growth in this sport from becoming stagnant? Jeremy Stephens: That's a good point, and I work a lot to make sure that doesn't happen to me. I'm always working on my wrestling and jiu-jitsu. I think my ground and pound game is pretty good right now too. Of course, I'm blessed to have the ability to always catch someone with these hands, but it's definitely not something I go into a fight thinking about. I actually just moved my family out to San Diego to help take my training to the next level; I'm definitely looking to improve in all areas of the game James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Well, that couldn't have been a better segue if I had told you what to say beforehand. Like you said, you recently moved out to San Diego to train with The Arena Team. Talk about that transition and what it's like training with the guys in that camp. Jeremy Stephens: Well, I train at Throwdown, Alliance, and Arena. Arena has Steve Abas, Rani Yahya, and KJ Noons. And then I train with Alliance guys like Dominick Cruz and Ed Ratcliff. There's just a ton of variety out here in San Diego and I have coaches that really push me and want to see me improve. It's been great so far. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Talk about your career to date. You've had nine fights in the UFC, 23 overall, and yet you're still only 23 years old [turning 24 later this month]. Do you view that more as a positive because you have so much time to continue to improve, or a negative because by the time you're 30 or so, you may wear down faster than other fighters that haven't been in as many wars as you? Jeremy Stephens: You're right, that's a good point. That can definitely play a factor later on. But the way I view things, I just look at it one day at a time and thank God everyday that I'm healthy. And I view every fight as potentially my last fight, so I don't really think about the future that much. I just wake up every day and try to improve myself in every way I can. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): You're coming off back-to-back wins after suffering back-to-back losses. Where do you think you stand in the stacked UFC lightweight division? Jeremy Stephens: I don't really pay attention to rankings, you know? Joe Silva and those guys choose who I fight. There are a lot of different styles of fighters out there to face. But yeah, I definitely feel like I'm ready to move up and take on some of the better fighters in the division. I look forward to it. I think our division is stacked. I think there could be five or six guys that could win the title. Of course you got Frankie Edgar and B.J Penn. But there's Kenny Florian, Tyson Griffin, Gray Maynard, Jim Miller, George Sotiropoulos, and Kurt Pellegrino has been on a roll too. I mean, damn, look at the list of guys I just named. There are so many guys at the top of the division. I just want to fight the best so I can become the best. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): So what type of fight are you looking to get next? Let's try this little exercise out. I'm gonna run off some names of fighters and you tell me if you think they're a good fight for you right now. Nate Diaz, Efrain Escudero, Evan Dunham, Ross Pearson, and Mac Danzig. What do you think of those guys Jeremy Stephens: I do think about who I'm gonna fight next. And I won't call anybody out right now, but to be honest, a couple of the names you just said are definitely at the top of my list of guys to fight. Some of those guys definitely run through my mind. James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Well, thank for you time Jeremy and good luck in your next bout against whomever the UFC chooses for you. Do you have any sponsors you'd like to thank or a website you want to plug? Jeremy Stephens: Thank you. I just want to thank all my sponsors. The Fight Mafia, Venom, Cardboard Box, and MusclePharm. And any other sponsors I forgot to mention. You can check out my website, www.lilheathenmma.com too. Now I'm back home with my family and things couldn't be better. God bless everyone and thanks for all the support. |
| Posted: 12 May 2010 03:34 PM PDT  Jonathan Goulet (22-11) released from the UFC after losing to Marcus Davis at UFC 113: "Machida vs. Shogun II" on May 8. It was "The Road Warrior's" second straight loss inside the Octagon. |
| The Lamentation of Butterbean: UFC steals James Toney from Moosin MMA Posted: 12 May 2010 03:12 PM PDT
Props: LA Times Quoteworthy:
Portly pugilistic powerhouse Eric Esch reflects on what could have been an interesting twist on the upcoming Moosin "Gods of Martial Arts" fight spectacle in Worcester, Massachusetts. "Butterbean" is co-promoting the May 21 event as well as throwing hands with Boston radio personality and former Bruins player Lyndon Byers on the main card. Anyone think Toney would have had a better shot in Moosin? Or is he doomed to fail wherever he fights? Time will tell. |
| Bellator 18 weigh-in results from Monroe Posted: 12 May 2010 03:11 PM PDT
MONROE, La. (May 12, 2010) - On the eve of Bellator Fighting Championships' much-anticipated show at the Monroe Civic Center in Monroe, La., the fighters competing in tomorrow's event participated in an official weigh-in earlier this evening. Bellator 18 will be broadcast live in prime time nationwide on Thursday on FOX Sports Net and during special Bellator highlight shows this Saturday night on NBC, Telemundo and mun2. The official results of the weigh-in are as follows: MAIN CARD: Hector Lombard (187.1 lbs.) versus Jay Silva (191.2 lbs)* - at 191 lbs. Wilson Reis (144.8 lbs.) versus Patricio Pitbull (144.4 lbs) - at 145 lbs. Georgi Karakhanyan (145.9 lbs.) versus Joe Warren (144.8 lbs.) - at 145 lbs. Douglas Williams (237.5 lbs.) versus Shawn Jordan (260.3 lbs.) - at 265 lbs. LOCAL FEATURE FIGHTS: Lamont Stafford (185.8 lbs.) versus Jules Bruchez (184.3 lbs.) - at 185 lbs. Brock Kerry (147.4 lbs.) versus Mike Braswell (147.1 lbs) - at 148 lbs. Charlie Rader (171.3 lbs.)** versus Christian Fulgium (178.8 lbs.)** - at 178 lbs. * Will fight at a catchweight of 191 lbs. ** Will fight at a catchweight of 178 lbs. |
| Posted: 12 May 2010 01:45 PM PDT  Tito Ortiz and Jenna Jameson reunited and walking the beach this past Sunday (Mother's Day). |
| Rory MacDonald UFC 115 training video for Carlos Condit Posted: 12 May 2010 01:17 PM PDT
Thanks to MMAcanada.net for the tip. |
| Dana White: 'I’m no Josh Koscheck fan -- Personally, I think he’s [expletive]' Posted: 12 May 2010 01:02 PM PDT
Props: Yahoo Sports Quoteworthy:
UFC President Dana White has some very unflattering words for 170-pound welterweight number one contender Josh Koscheck, who overcame the British invasion of Paul Daley at UFC 113 last Saturday night in Montreal. Despite his fondness for "Semtex," White handed the power-puncher his pink slip after taking a swipe at "Kos" following their fight on May 8 -- and even draws comparisons to Nick Diaz (even though Diaz fought three more times under the UFC banner following his hospital incident). Fighter conduct has been a hot topic on the heels of the Strikeforce CBS brawl in Nashville back on April 17, but is any different than unprofessional behavior in other sports? Or just magnified because MMA is an industry already pegged as "unnecessarily violent" by mainstream haters? |
| Posted: 12 May 2010 11:54 AM PDT
Recent UFC cast away Paul Daley spoke to MMA Weekly about his banishment from the world's largest mixed martial arts promotion, as well as what the future holds for him. The British striker claims to already have a fight set up on a pay-per-view event in Australia on July 3, [though I'm fairly certain he's referring to the July 10 IFC event in Brisbane that Josh Barnett is competing at -- hmm... how fitting]. He also says he has plenty of other offers in the works and is even eyeing a pro boxing career. In terms of MMA fights, "Semtex" states that he wouldn't mind taking on K.J. Noons, Nick Diaz, Jay Hieron, or Joe Riggs. Any of those names sound like a good match up to you? Where do you see Daley's career going in the future? Will he ever be able to redeem himself for his for amateurish actions at UFC 113 this past weekend. Share your thoughts, por favor. |
| Shane Carwin: White Men Can Jump? Posted: 12 May 2010 11:39 AM PDT Shane Carwin: White Men Can Jump? |
| Marius Zaromskis vs Evangelista 'Cyborg' Santos targeted for Strikeforce: 'Los Angeles' on June 16 Posted: 12 May 2010 10:52 AM PDT
An intriguing welterweight scrap in the form of Marius Zaromskis and Mr. "Cyborg" Santos is in the works for Strikeforce: "Los Angeles." MMA Fighting yesterday reported the match up, which is set to take place from the Nokia Theatre on June 16. Zaromskis (13-4), who fights out of London Shootfighters, captured the DREAM welterweight belt after emerging as the surprise winner of the promotion's welterweight tournament last July. "The Whitemare" made his Strikeforce and USA debut in January at Strikeforce: "Miami" against Nick Diaz. Vying for the promotion's vacant welterweight title, he succumbed to the Cesar Gracie pupil via first-round TKO. Prior to signing a multi-fight agreement with Strikeforce last October, Zaromskis was coming off a first round mutilation of Myeon Ho Bae at DREAM 12 in the promotion's first ever event to feature a cage instead of the traditional ring.
It was the third consecutive time the Lithuanian won a fight with a head kick in the opening round. He also clowned Jason High and the heavily-favored Hayoto Sakurai to finish his stellar run in the July 20 conclusion to the DREAM Welterweight Grand Prix. Evangelista, husband of Strikeforce's 145-pound champion Christiane "Cyborg" Santos, made his promotional debut last June in a defeat to Joey Villasenor. The Chute Boxe fighter has dropped four of his last six bouts, but is coming off a win against Daniel Zarate at Samurai Fight Combat 2 last December. He'll be carrying a 17-13 pro mark into this bout with Zaromskis. Confirmed for "Los Angeles" is a middleweight match up between Robbie Lawler and Renato "Babalu" Sobral. Heavyweight prospect Bobby Lashley as well as lightweight KJ Noons are also expected to compete on the card against opponents yet to be determined. |
| Kenny Florian: 'Gray Maynard is a bigger and better version of Sean Sherk' Posted: 12 May 2010 09:29 AM PDT
Props: MMA Nation Quoteworthy:
Perennial UFC lightweight top contender Kenny Florian talks about his upcoming fight with Gray Maynard at UFC 118 in Boston, Massachusetts on August 28. The winner of this contest will most assuredly receive a title shot against the winner of the championship rematch between Frankie Edgar and B.J Penn -- also set to take place at UFC 118. So, with about three months to go before this number one contender showdown, who has the edge in this match up? Will KenFlo's experience of already having competed near his hometown back at UFC 101 give him an advantage here? And do we think he's evolved his game enough since he fought Sean Sherk way back at UFC 64 to where he is able to handle the strong wrestling style of "The Bully?" Let's get some early predictions, Maniacs. |
| Spike TV presents 'UFC's Ultimate Fights' to counter program Strikeforce and Shine Fights on May 15 Posted: 12 May 2010 08:56 AM PDT Talk about killing two birds with one stone. Spike TV is hosting a special two-and-a-half hour presentation of "UFC's Ultimate Fights" to air opposite the Showtime and pay-per-view efforts of rival promotions Strikeforce and Shine Fights this Saturday (May 15) at 10 p.m. ET. And while Strikeforce might be bringing the "Heavy Artillery," Zuffa is counter-programming with some pretty big guns of their own, including the recent heavyweight slugfest between Shane Carwin and Frank Mir from UFC 111: "St. Pierre vs. Hardy" back in March. In addition, the much-ballyhooed featherweight fisticuffs between Leonard "Bad Boy" Garcia and "The Korean Zombie" Chang Sung Jung will also be on display. Good thing all those WEC logos were missing in action at "Aldo vs. Faber." But that's not all. Here is a list of the featured bouts for Saturday's Spike TV presentation:
This latest counter-programming effort should come as no surprise. The UFC held a special encore presentation of UFC 110: "Nogueira vs. Velasquez" to run opposite the Strikeforce and CBS "Saturday Night Fights" event from Nashville back on April 17. Now Shine Fights is unfortunately caught in the middle. Expect more of these televised specials in the near future, especially with the Strikeforce "Los Angeles" and Fedor vs. Werdum" events just around the corner. What will the UFC do to up the ante the next time around? Stay tuned. |
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